


Voice in the Wind

by Willofhounds



Series: Voices [1]
Category: Black Cat (Anime & Manga), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Aizuku, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Assassin AU, Assassin Midoriya Izuku, Assassin Redemption, EraserDeku Month 2020, F/M, M/M, Nighteye is Izuku's parent, Parental Sasaki Mirai | Sir Nighteye, Parental Tsukauchi Naomasa, Past Relationship(s), Sasaki Mirai | Sir Nighteye Lives, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, edm-fic, edm-s 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:46:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25339342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Willofhounds/pseuds/Willofhounds
Summary: Raised as an assassin for Chronos Izuku Midoriya has never known kindness. When he makes a friend he leaves the life behind. Only for it chase after him.
Relationships: Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead/Midoriya Izuku, Eri & Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Inko/Sasaki Mirai | Sir Nighteye, Midoriya Izuku & Sasaki Mirai | Sir Nighteye, Midoriya Izuku & Toogata Mirio, Midoriya Izuku & Tsukauchi Naomasa
Series: Voices [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1903120
Comments: 14
Kudos: 177
Collections: Eraserdeku month, Just sum of ma fav random fic, Quirkless Zuku Fics





	Voice in the Wind

A/N this is the second of 3 fics for eraserdeku month. I hope you enjoy it. If you do not like m/m or Aizawa/Izuku as a pairing hit the back button because I don't want to hear your complaints. 

Prompts: Assassin AU and Soulmate AU. 

Tsukauchi's POV 

Fireworks exploded above his head lighting up the night sky. The festival was one they had every year. For the first time since he was a teenager Naomasa was able to attend. The last week had been unusually quiet at the precinct. It was quiet like this that made him nervous. For tonight though he would allow himself to relax and enjoy the fireworks. There were plenty of heroes who were working to make things go as smoothly as possible. 

As he moved towards the waterfront he caught sight of familiar green hair. Sven Vollfied a former member of the ISB currently employed as a Sweeper. A little girl no more than seven was sitting on his shoulders. Naomasa knew the man well enough to know she wasn't his. Most likely the girl had been rescued during one of his jobs. 

The detective made a note to call the other later. See if he needed to find a family for her. Life as a sweeper wasn't a good life for a child. It was more dangerous than that of a hero. On top of that, they didnt have any of the protections the heroes had. 

Sweepers were seen as little more than thugs and bounty hunters by the heroes. To the police, they were a godsend. Sweepers took on jobs that most heroes would consider below them. They got small times villains off the street without seriously injuring them. There was a fee to be paid for their work but it was worth the price. 

As he passed by Sven a flash of light caught his eye. Naomasa turned just as the light hit a tanker that was coming into port. He could only watch in horror as it exploded. 

For a moment the world went still as people looked at the now burning tanker. Then the screams of horror began and heroes rushed towards it. Off duty or not it was his job to get in there and help the heroes. 

Pushing through the crowd he made his way towards the tanker. Two heroes were combating the flames while others were trying to get in there and rescue crew members. Naomasa knew he would be little use in either of those. He needed to figure out where that light had come from. 

Near the port in direct eye-line with the tanker was an alley. Flames from the explosion raged around the alley. His sharp eyes caught on the cuts into the brick. It was as if someone was striking the bricks with a sword. Very few people used swords anymore. It might help them figure out who was behind this. 

He caught movements by one of the burning pile. At first, his mind had disregarded it as a pile of trash. At seeing the movement he realized it was a person in a large coat that was moving. Carefully avoiding the flames he moved to the personal side. 

Luckily they weren't on fire just scorched from the blast. It was a male maybe fifteen or sixteen years old. He looked to be almost six feet tall wearing all black clothes. The skin he would see was tanned and littered with scars. 

Naomasa inquired placing his hand on the boy's shoulder, "Hey can you hear me?"

There wasnt any sign that the boy heard him. Or the sign of consciousness as the boy's eyes were shut. After checking for a pulse he lifted the boy up and was startled to see three pairs of eyes staring up at him. Children had been under the trenchcoat. That was why it was moving and so spread out. 

Naomasa said shifting the teenager, "Hey kids follow me. I'm a police officer and I'm going to take you guys to an ambulance. Okay?"

Shock and fear were in their eyes but they nodded. The youngest grabbed the leg of his pants as he led them carefully back through the alley. The kids didnt seem injured but he still wanted to have them checked out by the ambulance. 

As soon as they were seen by heroes who arrived on scene Shouta resounded calling for medics. Soon the children were ushered into the back of ambulances while Naomasa put the teenager down on a stretcher. His breathing was slow and it was ragged from smoke inhalation. 

The paramedic immediately began to take his vitals and look for wounds. Naomasa stayed close in case he was needed but his eyes were on the heroes. They were struggling to put out the blaze. Only a handful of the crew had been rescued so far by the looks of it. If the inferno was not contained soon then many would die. 

Naomasa hated not having a more useful quirk at times like this. All he could do was sit on the sidelines and direct the wounded. His quirk Lie Detector wasnt suited for battle or rescue. Good for police work but that was it. 

Behind him, there was a sharp inhalation of breath. Turning he saw that the paramedic had removed the teenager's shirt to get the deep lacerations across his abdomen. That was not what had caused the surprise. Nor what had drawn Naomasa's own eyes. It was the roman numerals tattooed across the teenager's chest on one side and the name on the other. 

XIII tattooed across the left side of his chest. It could only mean one thing. This kid was one of the Chronos Numbers. Unwritten rules stated he should contact Chronos immediately. Somehow it didnt sit right with him to do that. 

Chronos was an enormous organization that secretly controlled 3/4s of the world. Regular civilians didnt know this and few within the police departments did. The paramedics worked with Chronos on occasion. They were trained to recognize the signs. Naomasa was one of these few due to his security clearance and work with heroes. He suspected it was mainly due to his friendship with All Might. 

From what he knew Chronos was broken into three main groups. First was the elder's who controlled Chronos with an iron fist. Their orders were absolute. To against an Elder almost certainly meant death. 

Next were the Erasers. They were little more than assassins and intelligence officers. They carried out basic missions given out by the Elders. They had the most members. Some simply wanted to kill. Others wished to make the world a better place. 

The last group was the Numbers. Very little was known about this group. Everything from their marks to their weapons changed depending on who they were. The only identifiers were the marks on their bodies. It would be a roman numeral of whichever Number they had taken on. The other identifier was their weapons were marked much the same way. 

The revelation that the teenager was a Number wasnt the most surprising thing. On the right side of the boy's chest was a name. Shouta Aizawa was written in black and red. That name would mean nothing to most. To Naomasa it was his friend and pro hero Eraserhead. 

The paramedic asked fear lacing his voice, "Sir what should I do? Protocol dictates that we contact Chronos."

The protocol did dictate that but looking down at the boy he couldn't bring himself to. There was something more about this boy. He had to know what it was even if he ended up in trouble for it. 

He shook his head and replied, "Let's get him to the hospital first. We will let him make the decision on if he wants us to call Chronos."

"Yes sir."

Izuku's POV 

Dreams

Izuku ran through the city streets. He had to reach Saya before Creed did. That moron thought that she made him weak. That she somehow enchanted him. Nothing could be further from the truth. Saya was the one who had shown him another path.

The people at the festival shouted at him as he pushed past. He had to find Saya. He had to save her from Creed.  
As he turned the corner to where he was supposed to meet Saya his heart stopped. She was laying on the cold concrete in a kimono. Across the front of her chest were several slash marks. Saya was alive but only barely. 

Izuku rushed to his friend's side and helped her sit up. Saya whispered pain clear in her voice, "This isn't your fault, Izuku. Don't go back down the path you have diverged from."

His grey-green eyes looked down at his friend's sadness in them. She wouldn't make it to the hospital. He was lucky she was still alive when he arrived. There was little doubt in his mind that she held on to say goodbye. To remind him not to fall back down his dark path. Just yesterday he swore to her that he would leave Chronos.

He said trying to comfort her the best he could, "Don't speak. Please save your strength."

She said her hand cupping his cheek, "Don't forget your promise. Izuku... I..."

Her hand fell back against the ground and he screamed, "SAYA!"

End of dream

He shot up his hand touching his cheek where he could almost feel her touch still. Then he winced as pain shot through his abdomen. It only took him half a second to realize why. He had fought against Creed and lost. 

Glancing around him he found a man sitting next to his bedside. They were in a hospital room that definitely did not belong to Chronos. If it did he would be restrained to the point that he could not move. 

The man next to him was wearing a white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and black slacks. Over the back of the chair was a light jacket. Onyx eyes watched him carefully as he placed aside the folder he had been reading. He had his chair placed between the teenager and the door. As if one man could stop a Number so easily.

Izuku knew immediately that this man was not of Chronos. The clothing choice was too casual even for someone within the intelligence division. So who was he and why was Izuku here?

Glancing down to check himself over he found that his chest and abdomen were covered in bandages. At least they treated his injuries. That was something at least. 

The man said quietly, "My name is Tsukauchi Naomasa. I'm a detective with Musutafu Police Department. Can you tell me your name?"

Izuku gave him an are you stupid look instead of answering. Police or not that didnt mean he trusted the man. People who were supposed to be good still did bad things. There was no way to tell if this man was good or not. 

Tsukauchi sighed, "Okay then you don't have to tell me. Three nights ago there was a tanker explosion that killed ten people and injured a dozen more including yourself. I found you in a back alley near where it happened and pulled you along with three children from the blaze. Can you tell me what a Number was doing there?"

"I... am no...t," he winced painfully as his throat was raw. Tsukauchi held out a cup of water to him. Izuku only glared at it distrustfully. 

The man said with a knowing look, "Its neither poisoned nor laced with anything. We are not Chronos."

Mistrustfully Izuku took a sip of the cold water. It soothed his throat and didnt taste or smell off. Though he knew better than anyone that meant nothing. After a few moments, he reluctantly took another. 

The two of them fell into a silence that was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable. The man's gaze was quite honestly unnerving. He had faced down death several times but there was something different about this man. 

A knock on the door made Izuku jump and reach for Hades. Which unsurprisingly was not there. He would have been surprised if it was considering he was in a hospital. The man wouldn't have been that stupid. 

A man with a cat head came in holding a stuffed black cat with a bell around its neck. It was cute in its own way but why was an officer carrying it?

Tsukauchi turned and greeted with a smile, "Sansa what is that?"

Sansa walked in and held the cat out to him. Izuku raised an eyebrow but refused to take it. Why the hell would he want this?

Sansa replied with a frown his golden eyes never leaving Izuku, "The kids asked me to give this to the man in black. Something about the nice lady would have wanted him to have it."

Nice lady? Saya. There was no one else that they could be talking about. Wait did she make it out of the blast?! Were they able to get to her in time?!

Izuku asked desperately wincing as his voice cracked, "Di... did you find someone with me? A girl?"

The two men exchanged glances before Tsukauchi answered, "I'm sorry but I only saw you and the kids. No one else came out of that alley. There's no way anyone could have survived that inferno."

Something inside him broke. He knew that Saya would have died. The wounds were too extensive for her to survive. To have it confirmed and that nobody was retrieved hurt more than he knew how to deal with. 

Tsukauchi tried several times to draw him into a conversation. Every attempt was rebuffed with stony silence. The boy wasnt stupid. If Chronos was leaving him here he would be going to jail. He had stopped being able to count how many people he had killed when he was 11. Now he was 15 almost sixteen. There always was a penance to pay. Whether when it happened or later down the road it would always catch up someday. 

Later that afternoon a doctor walked in and spoke with Tsukauchi quietly. When he read through the folder he was given the dark eyes widened. Izuku felt a flicker of interest in knowing what had caused the detective surprise but would not ask. He would refuse to speak and only nod or shake his head. There was no reason to get attached to anything here when it would just be yanked away from him. 

As soon as the doctor left the man was on his phone making calls. This was it he was going to be handed over to Chronos. In his current state, he wouldn't be able to fight off a Number. 

When the man turned back to him there was sadness and guilt in his eyes. Did he really feel guilt overturning him over to Chronos? That would be a first. Most would be happy to get rid of a Number. Numbers were seen as subhuman by most of the world. Little more than animals because they killed for Chronos. 

His hands clenched at his sides with that thought. They were not animals. They were people and had feelings just like everyone else. Feelings that were buried because of the life they chose. If they allowed their feelings to get in the way they would never be able to do what must be done. 

Saya had pulled out the feelings that he had buried since he was seven. Over the course of a single year, she had undone seven years' worth of conditioning. With her gone, there was no one in the world he trusted. Chronos wanted to kill him, heroes would put him in jail or hand him back over to Chronos. Was there even a place left for someone like him?

An hour after the doctor had come in there was a knock on the door. A man with green hair that had yellow stripes in it came in. He was wearing a business suit and had piercing yellow eyes that set Izuku on edge. 

This was Mirai Sasaki better known as Sir Nighteye former sidekick of the Number 1 hero. What in the hell was he doing here? If they took Izuku to the nearest hospital from the explosion then he wasnt even in the hero's jurisdiction. So why bring him here?

Tsukauchi said noting his questioning look, "We are still waiting for one more. Better to say this when all parties are here," Izuku stiffened and began to debate his chances of getting away, "If you're worried about Chronos they are not who we are waiting on."

Mistrust flashed in his eyes. It could be a lie to keep him there and under control. As soon as the thought came it was gone. Tsukauchi had honest eyes just like Saya. He wasn't lying to Izuku. 

Without replying to the man he simply adjusted his position on the bed. His hands twitched with the need to do something, anything. He wasnt one to sit idle even when injured. As such being stuck in this bed was driving him insane. 

Another knock on the door came and this man was significantly different from Nighteye. Izuku would have akined him to a hobo. The man had black hair and onyx eyes. He was of average height wearing all black. Around his neck was what appeared to be a scarf. Something bright yellow was hidden in the scarf but the Number couldn't get a good look at it. 

Izuku folded his arms across his chest and glared coldly at them. As curious as he was he refused to rise to the bait. They would have to tell him what the hell was going on. 

Tsukauchi introduced with a tired sigh, "The last one who just came in is Shouta Aizawa," Izuku's eyes widened with surprise, "Yes we know about the mark on your chest. Since I know him personally I made contact."

Knew him personally? That must mean his soulmate was a hero. Which one was the question? 

Izuku carefully went back over the man's features then ran through the active heroes he knew. Eyes widened even further as he realized who the man was. The Erasure Hero: Eraserhead. How in the hell had he gotten this man as his soulmate? Underground heroes were always trying to catch a Number. They didnt approve of the kill tactics that Numbers used. Though comparatively speaking he had the lowest body count out of them. When he killed he killed only the target choosing to knock everyone else out. 

Eraserhead questioned his eyes trailing to the soulmate mark, "Izuku Midoriya?"

Izuku inclined his head but kept his silence. Tsukauchi sighed, "He hasn't spoken much since he awoke a few hours ago. Just to ask if we found someone with him. Unfortunately, we did not."

Izuku's hands clenched around his biceps. Saya did not deserve her fate. It should have been him that died not her. 

Tsukauchi continued choosing to not comment on his reaction, "We didnt know who you were so I ordered a blood test be done to find out your identity. It's common practice for heroes to have their DNA on file in case their bodies are unrecognizable. Or in this case, a hero having an unknown child."

It took all of five seconds for the words to sink in. Nighteye was his biological father. His mother had married Hisashi Midoriya when he just over a year old. While he had known the man wasnt his real dad it never stopped Hisashi from treating him like his own. Both of them had died by an assassin's hand. The very same one who taught Izuku to kill. 

There was no way he would acknowledge this man as his father. It was likely he abandoned Izuku's mother when she found out she was pregnant. He didnt trust this man as far as he could throw him. He was more likely to trust Aizawa than the father he never knew. 

Nighteye for his part looked uncomfortable. Not surprising considering his dirty secrets were being put out. 

Aizawa said in a low tone, "You could have put that better Tsukauchi. If that tattoo on his shoulder is anything to go by he's a member of Chronos. A Number to be exact. So I have to ask why are we here and why have you not contacted them yet?"

Tsukauchi glanced back at Izuku who bared his teeth. Then the man said, "Because I don't believe he wants to go back to them. While he hasn't outright said it the fact that Chronos isn't banging down our door trying to find him says a lot. He was not on an official mission when that tanker exploded."

Nighteye blinked in surprise before he said, "You want to give him a choice to leave behind Chronos."

"Wouldn't you? He would have to stay with a hero. Someone who could protect him until his wounds heal."

Izuku blinked in surprise. They were going to give him a choice? What was the catch? No one did anything in this world for free. 

As if reading his thoughts Tsukauchi continued, "My only stipulation would be that you not return to Chronos and you stay with one of the heroes."

Izuku frowned. The first part wasn't difficult to promise. He would never willingly return to Chronos. They would have to drag him back using Numbers. He would kill anyone else who tried. 

The second part was what he had a problem with. He did not need or want a babysitter. Aizawa didnt need a killer around him. If the public found out a pro hero had a murderer as a soulmate there would be an uproar. As for Nighteye, there was as big of a chance of the boy trusting him as there was of Izuku getting a dog. 

Tsukauchi said his eyes narrowing slightly, "I only have two options here. Either I contact Chronos and hand you over to them. Or you stay with one of the heroes. The doctors and paramedics that treated you have gag orders in place. So you won't have to worry about them giving out information to Chronos. With that Number on your chest though I cannot just let you walk out free."

So that was it then. Chronos, Nighteye, or his soulmate. None of the options were very appealing at the moment. Then again he could always sneak away when they were asleep. He was the Black Cat stealth was his specialty. Sneaking away from heroes couldn't be any more difficult than getting away from Jenos. 

Aizawa spoke up drawing Izuku from his thoughts, "He should probably stay with Nighteye and if he wants to visit me. Right now I'm staying in the teacher dorms at UA. While I have an apartment it's a one-bedroom and we would be cramped."

Tsukauchi glanced at Nighteye who said, "I have plenty of room in my apartment."

Then all three men turned to Izuku who shrugged. Nighteye would be difficult to get away from but he was better than Chronos. Worst come worst there were the options of staying or fighting his way out. 

The three men began to talk amongst themselves quietly after that. With the excitement of the last few hours, he was exhausted. Mentally he was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that his father was Sir Nighteye. The last thing he ever expected was to come across his past. A past he buried with his mother and stepfather. 

It wasnt surprising when that evening the doctor insisted that he be kept overnight. Tsukauchi and Aizawa left with Nighteye to watch over him. Aizawa had patrols to do and Tsukauchi needed to file a report on what happened. 

Izuku didnt sleep that night instead lay staring at the ceiling. Nighteye was laid out in the chair next to the bed. Though the boy wasnt completely sure if the other was awake or not. There wasnt any difference in his breathing. 

Having this man so close to him was putting him on edge. It made him wish that Aizawa had stayed. At least Erasure would be useless against him. Foresight on the other hand was too unpredictable. Izuku didnt know the activation requirements or limitations. 

Nighteye didnt come across Chronos very often and never antagonized them. This made information given to the Numbers on him scarce. Inconvenient for times like this.

"You should sleep," came a soft voice from beside him, "Tomorrow is going to be long enough as it is."

So he was awake. Great just what he needed the other trying to make small talk. Izuku grumbled but didnt otherwise reply. 

Nighteye watched him with an intensity that made Izuku want to squirm. This man was just as broody as he was. It made Izuku nervous in a way he hadn't felt since his first days in Chronos. 

The look gentled and Nighteye reached out to him. Instinctively he flinched away from the hand. Nothing good ever came out of touch when he was in Chronos. The hand paused and golden eyes seemed to ask him for permission. 

Izuku didnt nod or shake his head. He stayed frozen fear clouding his mind. His breaths began to come in ragged gasps as his mind forgot where he was. A memory triggered within his mind.

Flashback

One of the elders inquired, "Number XIII, you do understand the reasons for this do you not?"

Izuku replied flippantly, "Not really."

There was a twitch in the other's face. It seemed he had angered the elder. Good.

A younger voice said, "Number XIII I hope the gravity of your situation is not lost on you. We made an exception to the rules when we brought you into the Numbers. We allowed you knowledge for our reasons for doing so."

The first said on the same tangent having regained his composure, "The skills you possess are in line with that of a number. You are once more to seek out and eliminate the bioweapon."

Izuku replied calmly, "The only thing I will do is act freely upon my own will. I will do what I think is right."

Another one of the elders snapped, "Do you truly believe you have free will? There is no freedom for a number. As your name says you're a black cat and we own you. You do as you are told just like any stray we pick up off the streets."

Izuku replied still holding that Cheshire grin, "Have you ever known a cat to do as you tell it? I can tell you that they just do as they want."  
Newt glared as he refused, "No. I refuse to bow any longer. I will protect those by my strength and will alone."

Breaths were sucked in. One growled, "Number XIII, do you understand the ramifications for what you just said? There are grave consequences. We will give you this one chance to recant your insolent outburst."

"I refuse," he calmly stated, "I will do only what I believe is right."

With that, he spun on his heel and left. He knew what was to come next. The elders would issue orders for his death.

End of flashback

Where was he? In a Chronos rehabilitation facility? No! He refused to become one of their mindless puppets!

Warm handheld bim down to a bed firmly. A voice was trying to reason with him but it only made him struggle harder. Someone moved to his bedside and fiddled with what could only be an iv. A cold feeling went into his veins and against his will, his eyes began to shut. 

A warm soothing voice said, " Sleep Izuku. It will be better in the morning."

Who... who was that?

His sleep with the aid of the sedatives was dreamless thankfully. Within Chronos his nightmares were legendary. It was part of the reason he had an apartment rather than sleeping in the dorms of Chronos. Jenos had been the only one who could approach him during a nightmare. Even then it was iffy on if Izuku would attack him. 

When he awoke he was groggy but coherent. Nighteye got him discharged with an hour of waking. The next three days Izuku spent at the man's apartment going stir crazy. His only reprieve was his visit with Eraserhead or Shouta as he was insisted on being called. 

Unlike Nighteye Shouta was fluent in sign language. Despite their rough start, Izuku was enjoying the conversations with his soulmate. There was some awkwardness but Shouta was easy enough to talk to. Nothing Izuku would speak about however pertained to his position within Chronos or what he did. Shouta was careful not to stray into the topic of why he was at the docks. 

One thing Izuku and Nighteye disagreed on was Hades. His revolver had been his constant companion for years. It was made from a rare ore known as Orichalcum. The metal would never rust or break once it had been forged. Every Number's weapon was made from Orichalcum. It made sure that they would last forever. The only issue some had was the weight not being to their liking. 

Not having it at his side felt wrong. Especially after what Saya had told him. On the first night of his arrival at the apartment, Izuku had found it. While it had been hidden it was fairly accessible in case they were attacked. Izuku made it quite clear, however. Either he kept Hades or he would walk away. Injured or not he was better off with his weapon. 

Nighteye relented if only to keep him from disappearing. If a Number wanted to disappear they would never be found. It was a fact of life and even heroes respected that fact. 

After a week Nighteye had to return to his agency. Shouta was still teaching at the hero school so Izuku went along. It would be the first time he had left the apartment since the hospital. His wounds were mostly healed and the stitches came out a few days prior. 

Arriving at the agency was an interesting experience. Nighteye had replaced his clothes and kept his color scheme of all black. The sidekicks were friendly enough right up until their eyes laid upon the roman numerals. Then they froze and glanced at the hero uncertainly. It was only at Nighteye's insistence that he was allowed to walk around unsupervised. 

Izuku didnt wait to be dismissed instead of going off in search of a training room. He needed to go through his paces so that he didnt lose his hard-won skills. Unlike 80% of the world, he did not have a quirk. His skill was entirely based on his training. 

It took his ten minutes of racing through the halls at top speeds to find one. The room was enormous. There were mats for sparing in the middle. On the backside were treadmills and other machine equipment. Over the top in the high ceilings was a parkour training course. He had to admit for a suit Nighteye had one hell of a training room. It was on par with what the Numbers used to train. 

Izuku moved towards where the ammo cabinets were. They held both regular rounds and beanbag rounds. For a moment he considered taking regular rounds and finding the gun range. Then he remembered that no one here knew him. Better safe than sorry. He really did not want to kill anymore. Though when he found Creed he would make an exception.

So he loaded the beanbag rounds and grabbed extras. He glanced up at the ceiling.

:Parkour or firing range? Parkour.: he decided. It was time to put his body through its paces. With Chronos and Creed out there he could not afford to be lax. 

Izuku ran through the parkour course at speeds that would make heroes dizzy. He quickly found his limits with his mostly healed injuries and worked around them. Testing his movements and firing capabilities was easy. He had done it time and time again when he was still an Eraser. 

It was several hours later when a blond-haired boy walked in. He appeared to be a year or two older than Izuku. Must be one of the interns he realizes. Most likely a UA student. Was he looking for Izuku?

As if feeling his eyes the boy looked up. He was a tall young man with a very muscular build. He was wearing a white skin-tight top with the number 1000000 stamped across his chest in a bold, yellow font. The trimming on the top and shoulder pads are made in a matching fashion. On his waist, two green lines act as a belt, along with some lines of similar appearance on his shoulders, which dip in places to form two V’s. Mirio also wears baggy dark blue pants and white knee-high boots. He wears a red cape as well as thick gloves of matching color. 

Hero costume supplied his mind. They were flashy for Izuku's tastes. Then again he had grown up as an assassin. His taste in clothes was probably too dark for the young hero in training. 

The boy greeted happily, "You must be Izuku Midoriya. Sir told me about you and asked if I would check on you. I am Mirio Togata my hero name is Lemillion."

Izuku only raised an eyebrow at the older boy. He gushed over his time in UA and how he wanted to save at least a million people. It made his name make sense. 

Normally someone talking so much would annoy Izuku. He liked to keep to himself and wasnt very social. Even before being taken in by an assassin, he was antisocial. Though not all of it was by choice. He could vaguely remember an ash blond-haired boy making his life difficult. The face was obscured and almost completely forgotten. 

Mirio was different his gentle nature calmed Izuku's more abrasive nature. In the end, Izuku decided to train with the boy. Apparently, they were planning a large raid on the Shie Hassaikai. It would do the boy some good to have someone who knew how to use a gun to train with him. 

Mirai's POV 

It had been over two hours since he sent Mirio to check on Izuku. He half expected his young protege to return within fifteen minutes. Now he was half worried that his son had injured the older boy. Mirio was a talented fighter but Izuku's skills were hardened by real battle. Mirio would never willingly permanently injure someone. It just wasnt in his nature. 

Mirai had been preparing for a full-scale attack on the Shie Hassaikai for over a year. They had the proof they needed for a warrant and the manpower for the attack. Over a dozen heroes were waiting for the call. His only regret was that he was unable to find another intern or sidekick. There were plenty of applicants but none fit the bill of what they were needing. So they would have to make do with the ones they had already. 

Mirai was halfway to the training room when Yagi found him. Despite their falling out five years prior that caused Mirai to go off on his own. They made up six months ago over Mirio. Mirio was chosen to be Yagi or as he was more commonly known All Might's successor. That reforged their bonds that for the longest time both men thought were destroyed. 

Picking a successor could not have come at a more opportune time. Three months after Mirio received One for All there was a showdown with All for One. It nearly killed the Symbol of Peace but he survived unable to fight any longer. The secret of his form revealed on National Television. Since then he was taking it easy and focusing on training Mirio as well as his job at UA. 

Yagi greeted with a trademark smile, "Mirai it's been a while. How are you?"

"It's been hectic preparing for that raid," he answered honestly, "On top of that I got some startling news."

"Oh?"

Mirai hesitated for a moment. It wasn't just his story to tell and Eraserhead was a coworker of Yagi's. Then again if Yagi snuck up on Izuku he was liable to get shot. His son was paranoid and never went anywhere without Hades as he called his gun. It was a sore point between them. Even if it wasnt his story to tell Yagi needed to know if only to protect himself. 

The retelling of the story took a good deal of time. He was careful to leave out things that didnt pertain to the other's safety. If he wanted to know every little detail about Izuku that trust would have to come from his son. There were many things even Mirai didn't know and wasn't trusted with. 

When they walked into the training room to say they were surprised would be an understatement. Izuku was full-on sparring with Mirio and keeping pace with the older boy. Both had sweat dripping from their foreheads. 

Izuku had shed his trenchcoat and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. Mirio was still in his hero costume that was made for all temperatures. Unlike the clothes that Izuku wore. 

Mirai's heart stopped when Izuku began firing off rounds. To his surprise and relief, they were beanbag rounds. Beanbag rounds were meant to stun and be a nonlethal force. It showed initiative on his son's part to minimize injuries if someone snuck upon him. 

There was a sharp intake of breath behind them. Mirai turned to see Eraserhead watching them. 

Eraserhead inquired his eyes on Izuku, "This is his ability?"

Mirio was a powerful fighter and for someone young to be able to keep up with him was hard to believe. At least for someone who never saw a Number fight before. Izuku was proving why he was a Number every second of the spar. 

Though it wasnt just the fighting that made them pause. There was a smile just barely there on the former Number's face. So far it had been the only time anyone of them had seen the boy smile. 

It looked as if he was dancing around Mirio. Even when the older boy went into the floor Izuku was able to predict where he would come out at. He expertly would dodge and fire off around. 

Mirai knew if he allowed it to continue like this they wouldn't stop. It was time to stop this before one of them collapsed. 

He called out drawing both boys' attention and Hades being pointed at his chest, "Alright enough you two."

Green eyes widened with surprise before returning to their cold impassive state. Hades was returned to its holster on Izuku's thigh. He didnt say anything as he headed towards the water cooler picking up his trenchcoat on the way. The smile had once more disappeared but it had been there. 

Izuku moved passed them and disappeared down the hallway. As much as he wanted to stop his son they had a meeting to get to. There was finally information on the Shie Hassaikai and a meeting had been called. Tomorrow they would attack. 

Izuku's POV 

No matter what some people thought he wasn't stupid. He noticed how nervous everyone seemed that morning. Even his so-called father was acting antsy. Something was going to happen. 

Nighteye had told him specifically to stay at the agency that day. That he would be alone except for Yagi Toshinori. Yeah, that was about as likely as him returning to Chronos. 

Giving Toshinori the slip was far easier than it should have been. He hid in one of the vans using his clothes to hide in the shadows. They had driven to an area that Izuku was somewhat familiar with. It was a territory owned by the Shie Hassaikai. If the heroes planned to take down Overhaul's group they were going to need help. 

Izuku listened to them briefly and watched as comms were handed out. Two minutes after they all piled out Izuku followed stopping to grab ammo and a comm. He tuned his comm in so that he could listen in on chatter then loaded Hades. 

The initial breach into the compound was chaotic. Izuku being the Black Cat used his skills to slip through the crowds of Yakuza and police expertly. He followed the heroes trail deep into the heart of the building. One or two stragglers had bullets put into their knees for their trouble. 

The real battle didnt begin until he stumbled across Fatgum's intern. The boy was struggling to keep up with the villains. Izuku loaded fresh rounds into the chamber before jumping into the fight. A villain with a bag over his head was trying to eat his way through the kid's quirk. A quick strike from the butt of Hades rendered the villain incapacitated. 

The boy said his dark eyes narrowing in confusion, "I don't know who you are but thank you."

Izuku growled, "Call me Black Cat. On your left!"

The boy was able to block a crystal strike meant for his head. Izuku saw an opening and put two bullets in the villain. One in the knee and one in the shoulder. It wasnt noticeable to most but within the crystal, armor was a weakness that could be exploited. Joints were the weakness aiming for them would ensure victory. 

The boy shouted, "Go! I can handle the last guy. The others will need your help."

Izuku didnt hesitate to take back off into the building. He followed the sounds of fighting with expert precision. He passed by several injured officers and an injured hero Rock Lock. Shouting could be heard not too much farther. The voice of Overhaul sent shivers down his spine. 

Overhaul was one of the few villains Izuku was genuinely afraid of. They had done battle twice before and the man nearly killed him both times. It was only with the intervention of Jenos that he had survived. 

He slid into the room where the shouting was coming from. Nighteye held Mirio and a silver-haired girl. The blond boy had a serious injury to his abdomen and a few other lacerations across his body. The girl's feet were bloodied but for the most part, she seemed uninjured. 

Izuku's green eyes swiftly spotted Overhaul on the other side. Spikes were between the two of them from the man's quirk. There was no sign of Eraserhead and that honestly worried the boy. Now was not the time to go in search of him. Not while Overhaul still took in a breath. 

Overhaul sent more spikes towards the trio. Without any hesitation, Izuku shot forward leaving his position within the doorway. Grabbing Nighteye and Mirio by their collars he threw them back. The girl had been clinging to Nighteye went back with them. 

The spikes stopped just before hitting him as golden eyes met emerald green. Then they flickered to the tattoo that stood out on his shoulder.

The man laughed hauntingly, "Well if it isn't a Chronos Number. What brings the Black Cat out of hiding? I see the rumors of your demise are exaggerated."

"And the rumors of your intelligence were greatly exaggerated as well," quipped back Izuku. 

There was a flash of anger in the golden eyes. Izuku felt a stab of pride at being able to annoy Overhaul. Normally they didnt trade pleasantries instead jumped right into the battle. 

If the growl he received was any indication then the man was more than a little angry. Yakuza were always easy to rile up. Insult their intelligence or supposed honor and they would froth at the mouth. 

As he expected spikes came at him again. Izuku dodged expertly and began firing off rounds. Orichalcum bullets would have taken him out. The metal it that state would stop the quirk factor. Unfortunately, he didnt have any as only the Numbers were given them and they were highly regulated. 

Behind him, Nighteye had regained his feet. The purple eyes made him flinch in surprise. That was foresight his father's quirk. With it, he had the ability to see into the future for a single hour every day. 

A hand grabbed his collar suddenly and pulled him away. Just in time for a set of spikes to go into the area where he was seconds before. He shot his father a grateful look. 

The two of them defended and attacked Overhaul in rapid succession. Despite their differences father and son worked well together. Neither side gained any ground until a large dragon collapsed the roof down upon Overhaul. 

Izuku lunged forward ignoring the cries for him to stop. A swift bullet was placed in Overhaul's knee before a swift strike to the back of his neck rendered him out cold. A flash of metal caught his eye and he caught what was thrown him out of the air. 

It was a pair of quirk suppressing handcuffs. Well good at least the heroes weren't total morons. If it wasnt for Saya he would save the world the trouble and put a bullet in the man's brain. Doing that would make him no better than Creed, however. So instead he put the handcuffs on him. 

Once that was done he handed Overhaul off to the dragon lady. She wasnt a hero he was overly familiar with. She typically stayed away from Chronos business. If the mistrust in her eyes was anything to go by she knew exactly who he was. 

Turning he found Mirio being helped into a stretcher. The boy's face was deathly pale. Beside him, the girl was crying as he was lifted and was taken up to the top to find an ambulance. He could read her lips even from distance. It broke what was left of his heart. She thought it was her fault that the hero in training had been hurt. 

Izuku moved over to her and tapped her on the shoulder. She flinched away from the contact. Red eyes fearfully glanced up at him. Those eyes were eerily like his own when he looked in the mirror. Especially after a nightmare. 

Bending down to a knee he asked quietly his voice rough from lack of use, "What's your name?"

"E...eri," she hiccupped in reply. 

Izuku said looking directly in her eyes so she could see the truth in his, "Listen to me, Eri. What happened to Lemillion was not your fault," she opened her mouth to argue but he cut her off, "No listen to me."

Her mouth closed and he continued, "Lemillion and the other heroes came here of their own free will. It's their job to protect people. Nothing that happened here was your fault. If there was anyone to be blamed it would be Overhaul."

"But if only I had listened! No one would have been hurt!"

Izuku questioned as he pointed to his Numbers' tattoo, "You see this? This is one of the marks of an organization that is worse than the Shie Hassaikai. They own 3/4s of the world and send those marked by the roman numerals to kill. Anything that is a threat to them must be destroyed. To disobey an order means death. To fail a mission means you are sent for retraining."

Her eyes widened with surprise and terror crossed her face. She took steps away from her eyes on Hades realizing what it could be used for. 

Izuku continued his hand reaching out for her but making no move to grab her, "I chose to leave Chronos because a friend told me I could be more than a killer. She told me that we were more alike than I would like to admit. She died because I was her friend."

Red eyes searched his face. Izuku's throat closed up at the thought of Saya. She had died because of him and he would never be able to forgive himself for it. If he could help this little girl keep from going down the same path of destruction it would mean her sacrifice wasnt in vain. 

The girl didnt take his hand instead she lunged at him. Izuku was barely able to keep from toppling over. Already he could feel his shirt growing wet where her head was pressed into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her gently. 

"It'll be alright. I promise. No one will hurt you as long as I am here."

Carefully he righted himself and made his way to the exit the dragon hero made. The paramedics tried to take Eri from him but she only clung to him harder. Sheepishly he smiled before deciding to sit on the back of an ambulance. They carefully took vitals from her while not taking her from him. Another set of paramedics did the same for him. 

As they were getting checked out he saw Nighteye start towards him worry etched across his face. Only a few feet behind him was Shouta who was being supported by another hero. A flash of worry went through the boy wondering if his soulmate was okay. Shouta was put in the back of an ambulance and taken to the hospital.

Nighteye hesitated for the briefest of moments. It was obvious that he wanted to check on Izuku. At the same time, his father didnt want to crowd him and push him away. He was willing to try and so was Shouta. So Izuku would try to do the same. Carefully mindful of the girl in his arms he made room for the two men on the back of the ambulance.


End file.
